Official Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Legendary recording artists John Mellencamp, Dusty Hill of ZZ
Top, and Kix Brooks (Brooks & Dunn), have added their voices to a campaign
launched by VeteransMatter.org to find permanent housing for homeless military
veterans. Public service announcements from the three will air on radio stations
in 110 markets across the United States from Nov. 1 through Veteran’s Day, Nov.
11.

“There are over 60,000 homeless veterans on the streets of America tonight,”
said Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee John Mellencamp, “Streets where they
have been beaten, robbed, even killed. But if this happened between enemy lines
we would be outraged. We must take care of our own.”

“The public would rather not know it exists, but it does, it matters. How do
you get 60,000 unhoused veterans off the streets? One at a time.” adds Dusty
Hill, legendary bass player of ZZ Top and also a member of the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame.

“They fought for us, now we fight for them. Veterans Matter works with the
HUD and VA (HUD-VASH) program to urgently move veterans off the streets and into
permanent housing,” explained Kix Brooks, country singer/songwriter, radio host,
and one half of Grammy® Award winning duo Brooks & Dunn.

Ken Leslie who was, for a time, homeless before he kicked drugs and alcohol
in 1990, founded Veterans Matter in 2012. Leslie is the CEO of a small technical
executive search firm based in Toledo OH, and a philanthropist dedicated to
helping others in desperate need.

“The pilot program started as a very small all-volunteer project and is
quickly and organically growing nationally because it just makes sense. We take
a very simple, common sense approach focused on only one thing: getting the
heroes off the streets into housing.” Leslie says.

Veterans Matter, a program of 1 Matters, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization,
partners with the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Housing and
Urban Development (HUD) to bridge the gap facing 8,660 homeless veterans who
have already been approved for voucher-assisted housing but are unable to come
up with rental deposits to move into their own apartments. These rental deposits
average $750.

All of the veterans referred to Veterans Matter have already been approved by
the VA and HUD for permanent housing, but the rental deposit - which is the
final step before a veteran can move into the permanent housing – is not covered
by government programs. Veterans Matter covers this shortfall and writes the
deposit check directly to the landlords. To date, the Veterans Matter pilot
program has housed 140 veterans and their families in 28 cities in four states.